Nerida Nthamburi

As Head of Africa Engagement, Nerida works with the Africa team where she is responsible for building and providing critical support to strengthen Girls Not Brides National Partnerships and other national-level networks and alliances in Africa.

Nerida is a human rights defender from Kenya, with over fourteen years’ experience in the social justice and legal sectors in the East and Horn of Africa region. She holds a Master of Laws degree (in Public International Law) and was admitted to the Kenyan Bar as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya in 2006.

Nerida has a background and keen interest in the advancement of equality, non-discrimination and access to justice, with an emphasis on the protection of women and girls from harmful practices. She has consulted widely for civil society organisations and governments in Eastern Africa, and has helped design and draft policy and rights-based legislation that promote a culture of equality and non-discrimination. She has authored articles and publications on access to justice, prevention of sexual violence, forced migration in Africa, and peace and security in the East and Horn of Africa region.

Before joining Girls Not Brides, Nerida worked in legal and coordination roles at Legal Action Worldwide and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project.

She lives in Nairobi, Kenya, and is fluent in both English and Kiswahili.